Crackdown on corruption: 5 J&K admn employees ordered premature retirement

Cracking down on inefficient and corrupt employees, the Jammu and Kashmir administration headed by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday ordered premature retirement of five officials of the housing and urban development department

Cracking down on inefficient and corrupt employees, the Jammu and Kashmir administration headed by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday ordered premature retirement of five officials of the housing and urban development department.

The J&K admn were found involved in misconduct and inefficiency following scrutiny of records and conduct of internal departmental reviews by a designated committee.

The officials, executive officer Mohammad Asharaf , senior town planner Hamid Wani, divisional town planner Farzana Naqshbandi (all under suspension), executive officers Ghulam Mohammad Lone and Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar were found involved in misconduct and inefficiency following scrutiny of records and conduct of internal departmental reviews by a designated committee.

Hamid Ahmad Wani was found involved in a number of cases involving violation of building permission norms. It was further observed by the committee that he was ineffective in discharging duties and no purpose would be served by allowing him to continue in service, said a top official.

Farzana Naqshbandi was found involved in a number of cases involving violation of building permission norms/illegal construction and corruption.

Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar executive officer, Yaripora municipal committee, was found involved in illegal regularisation of daily wagers and embezzlement of funds and the designated committee observed that he has not only outlived his utility as a government servant, but his conduct was such that his continuance in service would be prejudicial and injurious to the public interest.

The committee also reviewed the case of Ghulam Mohammad Lone, executive officer, Frisal municipal committee. He was found involved in a number of cases of illegal appointments/regularisations in municipal committees, besides violating rules of conduct.

Moreover, the designated committee after reviewing the case of Mohammad Ashra observed that he was involved in a serious case of embezzlement of government funds, besides, having granted illegal building permission.

“The authorities have directed that all such similar cases be identified and action be initiated. Besides, public servants should remain cautious while discharging their official duties and anyone found involved in corruption or inefficiency will not be allowed to continue in the government service,” said the official.

On Wednesday, the J&K administration had sacked five employees including two police constables for alleged terror links.